The profession of social work places value on service, social and economic justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence in practice. These values are seen as the defining principle of the profession and are reflected in the goals of the Bachelor of Social Work Program: The Alcorn State University social work program goals are to:
- Educate students on the necessary knowledge, values, and practice behavior for entry level professional careers as generalist practitioners in social work profession and for graduate education.
- Facilitate student’s development of a professional social work identity and acceptance of the values and ethics of the profession.
- Prepare students to become culturally competent to work with diverse populations, including marginalized minority and rural populations within the region, state and internationally.
The department incorporates nine core competences and thirty-one observable practice behaviors which are essential to the practice of CSWE and any social worker. Thus, the nine core competencies state that graduates will demonstrate the ability to:
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Alcorn State University’s Department of Social Work received reaffirmation accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) thru 2024.
